Following warnings from top military officials about the growing threat of cyberattacks on Defense Department networks, it was revealed Thursday that Pentagon was forced to take its Joint Staff unclassified email system offline last month after it was accessed by alleged Russian hackers.
The system has been shut down since roughly July 24, according to U.S. officials, who told NBC News on Thursday that a “sophisticated cyberattack” by the hackers affected roughly 4,000 military and civilian personnel who work for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
While it was not clear whether the attack was sanctioned by the Russian government or was the work of individuals, NBC cited the unnamed officials as saying the suspected hackers coordinated the cyber attack via social media accounts.
The officials also said no classified information was seized or compromised and that only unclassified accounts and emails were hacked — and that the system is expected to be back online before the end of this week.
